Timmy's Review of Ethan by Ryan Loveless

First, I want to thank everyone who is reading this. I haven’t done a review in a while because life as a teenager is way more busy then I thought it would be. So, it is an awesome special thing for me to get this request.

I loved the adult version of this book. I did not reread it or my review of it before reading the young adult version and writing this review because I wanted my review to be impartial to this book. Every book has its own qualities and I worried that I would see only what I wanted to see because I loved the adult version so much. Unfortunately, I have a great memory when it comes to books, so I may have remembered too much. I feel that may have hindered my impartial judgment. Please keep that in mind when reading this review. Because I’m a reviewer who wants you to form your own opinions, I will not give specifics about events in the story. No spoilers.

Ethan is the young adult version of Ethan, Who Loved Carter. I have a few Pros and Cons to go over with this book. But first, let me say I loved this story as much as I did the adult version.

I think one of the problems I have when an author converts a book from adult to Young Adult, or the other way around, is that they tend to leave too much of the original story in it. It’s almost like plagiarizing your own book. If you're going to do that, you want to be sure it fits the characters.



Carter was, at times, behaving older than you would expect. Even with him struggling to live with Tourette, he seemed old for his age. I didn’t see much difference between the older him and the younger him. This is a problem only if you have a hard time thinking a teen can act like an adult. Often, people say I act too old for my age. *shrugs* It is what it is, but if you are a person who doesn’t believe a teen can make mature decisions and do mature things, this book may not be for you. My issue wasn’t so much with Carter as it was with his parents. I didn’t feel the amount of leeway they gave him was normal. This is a bit problematic because I haven’t had a normal childhood so far. So, I asked around. It was generally said between my friends that they would love to have these kinds of parents, and yet they don’t think they are realistic. I think I understand why the author wrote them the way she did. I believe it was to keep some of the same situations from the first book in this one. I loved how the author really showed how hard life was for Carter and that even though he has a condition that would make him stand out, he is loved deeply. There are people who look at Carter and see Carter not Tourette’s.

I loved that she kept Ethan the same. He is the same age and goes through the same things. I like this because his story is an important one. Brain damage does not mean you can’t have thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It often means you have these things, and feel them MORE than an average person. You still want love and relationships. The world is scary and change is worse. Ethan has a very black and white way to look at things. I’m similar to this but have learned to see more grey in the last few years. Ethan will never get the grey areas to life. He is constantly matching what you say with the way it is said and the facial expressions you use. I truly understand this part of his processing, and like Ethan it is hard for me to get what is said. I love Ethan. I want to hug him and tell him how he encourages me to see how everyone has hardships in life. He teaches me that my life could have been much harder than it is. Not worse, because I don’t believe Ethan has a bad life, he just has a harder life.

So, I give this book 4 Marbles. It brings a lot of much needed hope to the lives of the readers and I thank the author for that.~Timmy

Ethan is out October 20th! Preorder Ethan now

at Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press, 

Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Ethan

Carter Stevenson is looking forward to a fresh start in a new high school on the other side of the country. It’ll give him a chance to escape his reputation for twitching and stuttering. He’ll have the summer to himself in his new home in California, and in the fall, he won’t get involved in any activity that puts his Tourette’s center stage. He won’t stand out as different.

But his new neighbor, Ethan, isn’t just going to change his plans. He’s going to change Carter’s life.

Ethan Hart is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, but it doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm or love for life. As soon as he sees Carter, who moves like the music Ethan sees between the clouds and the grass, he’s determined to become his friend, and then his boyfriend. And even if his parents say their romance can’t get physical, Ethan won’t let it stand in the way of falling in love.

Stepping into the spotlight was the last thing Carter ever wanted, but Ethan, along with a group of friends who like him just the way he is—tics and all—starts to change his mind. 

Adapted as a YA edition of the award-winning novel Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless.

Ethan is out October 20th! Preorder Ethan now

at Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press, 

Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Ryan Loveless

Ryan Loveless is a farmer’s daughter. She has a BA in English from a private college in Illinois and a master’s degree in library and information science with an archival certificate from a university in New York. Raised in a conservative family, she was shocked and relieved when her coming out was largely uneventful. She has been writing since she could read and has always drifted toward M/M because she enjoys the relationship dynamics. It’s possible that her first story was about GI Joe. She wishes she still had that story.

Find Ryan on Goodreads, Facebook, and on Twitter @RyanLoveless